“I’m so drawn to the frontier mentality and that idea of having to figure everything out from scratch.” —Andrea Zittel

Today’s ART21 Exclusive features Andrea Zittel’s Wagon Station Encampment (2004-ongoing)—a collection of “sleeping pods” installed throughout her property in Joshua Tree, California. Twice per year, when the desert climate is mild, Zittel allows artists, hikers, and researchers to stay in the Encampment, which is adjacent to her home and studio. Designed to facilitate social engagement as well as personal exploration, the Encampment is a blend of communal and private spaces. “Everybody has their desert fantasy; my particular fantasy was probably living on an alien landscape,” says Zittel who describes the Encampment as reflecting a “sci-fi pioneer aesthetic.”

ART21 Exclusive is supported, in part, by 21c Museum Hotel, and by individual contributors.

As a producer and director, Ian Forster creates documentary content for Art21’s various digital and broadcast programs. Since joining the organization in 2009, he has worked on four seasons of Art in the Twenty-First Century and the Peabody Award-winning film William Kentridge: Anything Is Possible. Additionally, he has overseen the digital series Extended Play since 2012, producing over 100 short artist portraits. Forster created the online video series Artist to Artist in 2013, which has since featured artists in conversation with their peers at international biennials in Italy, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.